I have ignored the scandal-mongering from the Washington Monthly, Atrios, and Josh Marshall regarding the outing of the Pakistani double-agent because, quite frankly, their track record on successfully recognizing scandals isn’t that great. However, it now appears that there is no question someone in the administration screwed up:
The disclosure to reporters of the arrest of an al-Qaida computer expert allowed several wanted suspects from Osama bin Laden (news – web sites)’s terror network to escape, government and security officials said Tuesday.
Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan, a 25-year-old Pakistani computer engineer, was nabbed in a July 13 raid in the eastern city of Lahore. He then led Pakistani authorities to a key al-Qaida figure and cooperated secretly by sending e-mails to terrorists so investigators could trace their locations.
His arrest was first reported in American newspapers on Aug. 2 after it was disclosed to reporters by U.S. officials in Washington. Later, the Pakistan government also confirmed his capture but gave no other details.
Two senior Pakistani officials said the reports in “Western media” enabled other al-Qaida suspects to get away.
“Let me say that this intelligence leak jeopardized our plan and some al-Qaida suspects ran away,” one of the officials said on condition of anonymity.
Unless other details emerge clearing the administration, let me be the first to say the Administration blew it and big time.
I understand the Democrats have created a climate in which any administration action is loudly and publicly denounced as partisan maneuvering- that is to the Democrats shame. That does not, however, excuse the kind of carelessness that took place here, and is certainly no way to ‘win’ a war on terror.
Most disturbing of all is that you would think they would know by now that they can not trust the press. You know the old saying- Fool me once…
*** Update ***
As of right now, comments are 100% against me blaming the administration. Go figure.
Slartibartfast
Yeah, this stinks. There are far, far too many loose lips (and, evidently, trousers) in Washington right now.
MichaelW
Just be cause some Pakistani officials say that Kahn would have led them to all sorts more arrests doesn’t make it necessarily so. They have an incemtive to boast/fudge/lie.
American intelligence officials haven’t given this meme much support, and it’s possible that “outing” Kahn has had some counter-intuitive effects on intel projects. For example, you never know who might get killed by AQ for being too close to Kahn. Moreover, it may have been determined that the remainder of Kahn’s inside knowledge was redundant, or that his “associates” are also working undercover and needed Kahn’s “outing” as a catalyst for further intel gathering.
In short, because so little of the intel puzzle is known to us, it is never safe to assume that what’s been made public is readily explainable.
Russ
I’m not fully on-board with calling it an “Administration” matter.
Was it someone in the White House? Was it a political appointee? That is what I would call “the Administration.”
Otherwise, it’s some GS-something federal employee shooting off his/her mouth.
As yet we don’t know which. But the propensity for blaming the misdeeds of anyone in federal service on “the Administration” is much to be regretted. Are we to believe that every federal employee reports directly to the White House?
I can see the headlines after the next postal employee goes, well, postal: “Administration Employee Guns Down 10 in Rampage.”
John Earnest
“Someone in the administration screwed up.”
I dunno. In my own experiemce, while there are certainly bozos in national sevurity work, the higher you go, the fewer there are. A basic tenet is you never let your intel target know that you know what he knows, otherwise, he’ll fix his leak, firewall his op, change his codes, mehtods, personnel, etc. This info would have been closely held at very highest levels.
I subscribe to either of two other scenarios. 1) “There Are No Accidents”. There could be reasons, very good ones, for this having been leaked. What would they be? Well, maybe the named source is not the actual source, and we want to cover the truth. Or we want to see who reacts, and how.
2) “It Is Not Enough For Me To Succeed; You Must Be Seen To Fail.” Never understiamte jealousy. Historically, security agencies of even allies have wrecked friendly ops, sometimes just to keep them from getting too much success, but more often because the wrecking agency has an interest (legitimate or not) to protect, or doubts about veracity of the source. Sometimes one section of a single security service (think MI-5 versus MI-6) wishes to confound a competing section because of differing pet theories or agendas. Even an individual who feels overshadowed by a rival, and strives for his own glory, can tumble the whole lot. Finally, in today’s polarized climate, don’t count out an embittered or polticaized operative, bent on embarrassing an entire administration.
Personally, I believe this was no mistake.
otto
It was Tom Ridge for God’s sake! What was he thinking? The adminstration has been much more secretive on much more trivial matters than this.
Rick
Intelligence and spycraft is *supposed* to be smoke and mirrors.
The theme of the critics is that the admin gets some boost from publically fretting about terrorism, and that there’s some political hay to be made from having it know that Mohammed Naeem Joshua Micah Noor Khan was rolled up.
Excuse me, but who ever heard of this guy? Yet Bushies “leak” the name for a poll bounce?
Monumental screw-ups exist in the world, but no–there’s some undercurrents here, like spooking Al Qaeda with misinformation, etc.
Cordially…
Sebastian Holsclaw
The NYT originially claimed it got the name from Pakistan. I hate this kind of story because the NYT knows damn well who leaked them the name which they then confirmed with US officials. No need to speculate. They could just tell us. I would really like the NYT to publish an article at least telling us which country gave the name to them first.
Ken Hahn
I also believe the administration blew it. I think they realize and will do something about it. I don’t think a Kerry administration would be any more careful.
Bush is not God. He is a somewhat mediocre President who has had opponents who make him look like Lincoln. I’m not surprisedthat this happened. I don’t see any serious candidate who would do better at this time.
?
I completely agree with Sebastian Holsclaw. The NYTimes ought to step up on this–they’re just being used. I don’t see why they protect this person, who made a large mistake and is counting on the Times for protection from the consequences.
I presume insiders know the truth, so maybe one of them will “leak” it.
Slartibartfast
100%? Just because I didn’t use the word “administration”? Ye wound me, John.
Justin Ogren
What was HE thinking?
Bush Blew It the Morning of 9/11 – by Bill Maher, Daily News http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/story/221433p-190107c.html
Gary Farber
? asks: “I don’t see why they protect this person, who made a large mistake and is counting on the Times for protection from the consequences.”
Sure, they could do that this time.
And then never have such a source again.